A last-ditch attempt to make this happen has now been all but written off as no further information has been released. A bill that sought to expand sports betting in the Lone Star State has not been passed through legislative further than the House, facing a lack of interest in the Upper House, it seems.
Senate Refuses to Act on Online Sports Betting in Texas
Senators have not really concerned themselves with matters of legalizing sports betting in Texas over the past years, with a few outliners not really having the clout to compel fellow lawmakers to act. What this means is that Texas continues to lack what many states do – regulated online sports betting.
Texas has been in general a bit of a hardliner when it comes to gambling, seeing it as the source of social ill. Although there are genuine concerns about gambling affecting a certain percentage of the population negatively, investors such as Mark Cuban have argued that introducing casinos in Texas, for one, could be good for tourism.
Cuban said that many residents in the state are currently looking for trips to other places in the United States because they cannot find a casino resort closer to home. This is revenue inevitably lost to other states. But it’s not just about domestic spending, argues Cuban, who says that through casino resorts, Texas itself can become a tourist destination for residents of other states as well.
Neither casinos nor sports betting will be talked about until the next legislative session. The hope this year was that a referendum to change the constitution could have been initiated should a bill have passed through the House and Senate, letting residents have a say whether they want to see sports gambling regulated in their state.
Strong Opposition Expected in 2024 Just as Well
One of the main opponents of advancing online sports betting is Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick who has expressed his dissatisfaction with the concept and introducing sports betting legislation. Both Lt Gov. Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott have been recently elected, which means that chances to conquer the Senate in 2024 are still slim.
Even if lawmakers were successful in reaching an accord on online sports betting – or casino resorts, they would still have to change the minds of two very strong-minded men who seem to enjoy the backing of state residents as they recently won their seats. This is a tall political order. For the time being, online sports betting will have to take the backseat and wait.